CBS has firmed up its unscripted and specials oversight as Jack Sussman, the Eye net’s exec VP of specials, music, live events and alternative programming,departs next month. Mitch Graham, who has been running unscripted under Sussman, will continue to do so, while Mackenzie Mitchell will head up specials as VP of that division.
Graham will now report directly to CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach, while Mitchell will report to both Reisenbach and Bruce Gillmer, the president of music, music talent, programming and events at Paramount and the chief content officer, music, at Paramount +.
Reisenbach revealed the new structure in a memo set to go out to staffers on Wednesday afternoon. As part of the change, the specials/alternative group will collectively report to Graham and Mitchell depending on the project.
“This is a storied department and I know both Mackenzie and Mitch will lead the team with distinction, transparency and positivity,” she said in her memo. “They both launched careers and rose through the ranks at CBS while establishing deep roots in the TV community with limitless passion and creativity for making quality popular television.”
Graham has been with CBS since 1999, first joining as a publicist — working his way up to VP in that division before moving over to the alternative team in 2013. While helping evolve staples like “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race” and “Big Brother,” he has developed new series like “Lingo” and “Raid the Cage.”
Mitchell joined CBS as an assistant in 2014, working her way up to VP. Her credits include the Grammys, the Kennedy Center Honors, the Tony Awards, “John Lewis: Celebrating a Hero” and “Garth & Trisha Live!”
Here is Reisenbach’s memo:
Dear Team,
I want to echo what George said in his email earlier today. All of us, and especially me, have been so lucky to work with Jack at CBS. He is a legend and a friend and I know we all wish him the best. I’m also thrilled we will continue to work with him on both theTony AwardsandThe Kennedy Center Honors.
As Jack already mentioned in his note, I also want to acknowledge that we have a great team in place and it’s my privilege to officially announce the structure for our Alternative and Specials department. First, Mitch Graham will continue to run unscripted as Executive Vice President, Alternative, which he has overseen since 2020, and will now report directly to me.
In addition, Mackenzie Mitchell will now be leading our Specials Team, as Vice President, Specials, and dually reporting to me and to Bruce Gillmer, President, Music, Music Talent, Programming and Events, Paramountand Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount +.
So now, the Specials/Alternative group will collectively report up to Mitch and Mackenzie, depending on the project.
This is a storied department and I know both Mackenzie and Mitch will lead the team with distinction, transparency and positivity. They both launched careers and rose through the ranks at CBS while establishing deep roots in the TV community with limitless passion and creativity for making quality popular television.
Mackenzie originally started at CBS in 2014 as a temporary assistant before being elevated to director and most recently vice president. She covered some of the biggest events on television, including multiple iterations of the Grammy Awards, theKennedy Center Honorsand theTony Awards. She has received associate producer credits on certain productions, including “John Lewis: Celebrating a Hero” and “Garth & Trisha Live!” Other CBS programs and specials she has worked on include“The National Christmas Tree Lighting,” “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash,” “Adele: One Night Only,” the CMT Music Awards and the perennials “A Home for the Holidays” and the “CBS Thanksgiving Day Parade.”
Mitch started in our publicity department in 1999 rising to the rank of vice president before transitioning to the Alternative department in 2013. He has demonstrated his programming skills in growing and evolving our tentpole seriesSurvivor, which was recently nominated for an Emmy Award for the first time in 17 years, the multi-Emmy winningThe Amazing Race andBig Brotherwhile developing new shows such as“Lingo,”hosted by RuPaul Charles,“Raid the Cage,” hosted by Damon Wayans, Jr. and Jeannie Mai, among other projects.
Please join me in congratulating Mackenzie and Mitch as they take on bigger roles.I look forward to working with them as we forge a new chapter for reality and specials programming at CBS.
Amy
